Читать книгу Happy Mother's Day: Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage - Debbie Macomber - Страница 11

Carrying a sticky cone of pink cotton candy in one hand and a purple stuffed elephant in the other, Jessica strolled leisurely with Damian down the long pier. The tinny music of the merry-go-round played behind them, mingling with children’s laughter. The scent of the bay and fresh popcorn swirled around them like smoke from a cooling fire. The night was perfect. The sun had set, and clusters of bright stars blinked down on them.

“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed myself more,” Jessica said to Damian. She held the cotton candy toward him and he helped himself to a handful. Taking another bite herself, she savored the sugary sweetness melting on her tongue.

“We still haven’t gone on the roller coaster,” Damian reminded her.

“That’s because you spent all that time trying to win this silly elephant.” She hugged it against her, belying her words.

“Are you game?” Damian asked, gesturing toward the huge steel structure.

Jessica shrugged. “I … I don’t know if that’s such a good idea after all the junk we’ve eaten.”

“Trust me.” He looped his arm through hers and pulled her along, not giving her a chance to protest.

“Great, first you fill me up with popcorn and cotton candy, then you insist on dragging me onto one of the biggest roller coasters in the country. That’s not smart, Damian, not smart at all.”

The crowds were thicker than ever, and Damian took her hand as he led her toward the ride. The line was long, and the wait was sure to be at least thirty minutes. A list of arguments crowded Jessica’s mind, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. The determined set of Damian’s jaw told her that much.

“What am I supposed to do with the elephant?” she asked, clinging to it tightly as they edged closer.

“Hold it.”

“If I’m holding the elephant, how am I going to hold on?”

“I’ll hold you,” he assured her calmly. “Stop looking so worried.”

“I should tell you, Damian Dryden, the last time I rode on this thing I had a near-death experience. I don’t suppose you know when this ride had a safety inspection.”

“Thursday.”

“You don’t know that!”

He laughed, seeming to enjoy her unease. “True, but it sounded good. Listen, this roller coaster has been running for twenty years without a single mishap. Well, there was that one time …”

“Damian!”

“I was joking.”

“Don’t tease,” Jessica muttered furiously. She flattened her palm against her stomach and sighed loudly. “My stomach doesn’t feel right.”

“You won’t be sick.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Experience. Anticipation’s the worst part. The ride itself is fun. The only problem is that it doesn’t last long enough. The whole thing is over in no time.”

For all her complaining, as the minutes passed, Jessica found herself beginning to look forward to their turn. At last the silver cars came to an abrupt halt in front of them.

“Just promise me you won’t fling your arms up in the air in that bizarre descent ritual,” Jessica murmured as the bar fell into place, securing them in the seat.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Damian said, “not when I promised to hold on to you.”

Jessica colored slightly, but didn’t respond. She dared not look down. She generally avoided heights, which meant she was trapped into closing her eyes. The stuffed elephant was cradled in her arms, much the same way Damian was cradling her.

The cars slowly made their ascent, chugging up the steep incline, making a straining noise as if the weight was too much to bear. The line of cars topped the peak and started its rapid descent. A scream of excitement froze in her throat as they plummeted downward. Damian’s arm tightened around her shoulders. Her free hand gripped his, her nails digging into his fingers, but if she was hurting him, he gave no indication. Just when it seemed they were about to break the sound barrier, they climbed up another steep grade, which slowed the momentum, but once they reached the top they were cast on a crazy twisting, turning journey that left her stomach far behind. Her eyes were closed so tightly her face ached.

When at last they rolled to a halt, Jessica’s shoulders surged forward, then sagged with a twinge of disappointment as she realized the ride was over.

“Well?” Damian asked, taking her hand to help her climb out of the cramped car. “Did you or did you not have fun?”

Her legs felt a little shaky once she started walking. “Give me a minute—I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

Damian laughed. “Admit it. Don’t be shy. It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Jessica said with ill grace.

Damian laughed again and tucked his arm around her waist. His action seemed so natural, especially since it was evident that her knees had yet to right themselves. Although his touch was automatic, it had a curious effect on Jessica. She enjoyed being linked with Damian, enjoyed having his body close to hers. She’d experienced it while they were dancing, too.

“You ready to head back?” Damian asked as they neared the brightly lit arched entry to Cannon Beach.

She agreed with a nod, but in fact she didn’t want the night to end. Their time together had been perfect. Perhaps now Damian would understand that it was his company she sought and not his brother’s. Perhaps now he’d view her as a woman and not the pesky little girl next door.

And maybe Evan’s obvious attraction to Ramona would blossom into something more, and the Drydens would stop looking to Jessica for solutions. She sincerely hoped that would be the case. A man always thrived on a challenge, and the artist’s daughter might be just the thing Evan needed.

Damian and Jessica walked along the sawdust-covered ground of the parking lot until they got to his car. The lights from the carnival lit up the night sky, and the sounds droned on behind her.

“I had a marvelous time,” she told Damian as he started the engine.

“Me, too,” he said. “It’s been years since I’ve gone to Cannon Beach. Years since—” He stopped abruptly.

Jessica was reminded of what she’d heard about Damian—that he worked too hard and didn’t take time to enjoy life. It felt good to know that Damian had enjoyed her company. The memory of his laughter produced a sudden smile. He didn’t laugh often enough, and when he did she felt as if she’d been rewarded with a priceless gift.

Damian drove Jessica to her apartment building. It was after eleven by then, but she was keyed up with excitement. Somehow she felt it would all end when Damian went home, and she wasn’t ready to let that happen.

“Do you want to come up?” she asked, not really expecting he would, but hoping she could change his mind.

He glanced her way as though judging the sincerity of her offer. “All right.”

“I’ll put on a pot of coffee, and you can gloat over how much I enjoyed the roller coaster.”

“I’ll gloat, coffee or not.” He found a parking spot on the street, got out of the car and then went around to open her door. A true gentleman, she thought not for the first time.

Laughing and joking they strolled toward her building. One of her neighbors held the door for them and smiled at Jessica and the purple elephant.

The laughing and teasing continued as they stepped into the elevator for the ride up to the tenth floor. The doors glided shut and Jessica slumped against the mirrored wall in mock exhaustion.

“You sure you don’t want to close your eyes?” he said.

“Why?”

“This elevator is moving at death-defying speeds. Who knows the last time it was checked for safety.”

“Thursday” came her glib reply.

Damian laughed delightedly.

“I don’t know,” she teased. “You might be right.” Jokingly she squinted her eyes shut, but when she did, Damian kissed her.

It took Jessica a moment to realize what had happened. Damian had actually kissed her. It was a simple, uncomplicated kiss, the kind a brother gives a sister. One pair of lips touching another.

Only it didn’t feel simple.

If anything, it left her longing for much, much more. Dumbstruck, she stared up at him, not knowing how to respond.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Damian muttered.

“I …” She closed her mouth to stop herself from asking him to kiss her again.

“It was just a kiss.”

“I know,” she muttered. She sensed that he regretted the impulse and wished she knew of some way to tell him how thoroughly she’d enjoyed it. But before she could find the words, the elevator stopped.

Jessica led him to her apartment and unlocked the door. Turning on the light, she moved into the cheery yellow kitchen and, as was her habit, flipped the switch to her answering machine. Cathy Hudson’s voice greeted her.

“Jess. Hi, it’s me. I’m dying to hear how the barbecue went with lover boy today. Give me a call when you can.”

“So your friend knows about Evan?” Damian asked casually, making himself comfortable at her round oak table. He leafed through a newsmagazine she’d been reading that morning.

“I might’ve mentioned him, but certainly not as Lover Boy, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That’s not what she said.”

“She’s teasing,” Jessica insisted. She hadn’t talked to her friend about her new feelings for Damian and was sorry now, because Cathy—like everyone else, it seemed—was intensely curious about the relationship between Jessica and Evan. “She knows I once had a crush on Evan and she assumed … Well, you just heard.” Jessica took out the coffee canister and poured some grounds into the paper filter. The rich coffee aroma filled the room. “This will only take a minute,” she promised.

“Listen, don’t bother. It’s later than I realized.”

“You’re sure?” Jessica said, disappointed.

“Positive.” He set aside the magazine and stood. Pausing in front of her, he drew his hand along the side of her face. “Thank you for a wonderful day, Jessica.”

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

The apartment seemed unnaturally empty when Damian was gone. She’d hoped he’d kiss her again before he left. He’d been tempted, she could see it in his eyes, but he’d resisted, apparently wanting to keep an emotional distance from her.

Jessica wasn’t at all tired and, needing to talk, dialed her friend’s number.

A groggy Cathy answered on the fourth ring.

“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Jessica said with a giggle, delighted to pay back her friend for all the times Cathy had phoned her in the middle of the night.

“From the dead. What are you doing calling so late and sounding so damned cheerful? There should be a law against that. Let me guess. You were with Evan.”

“No! Damian and I went to the—”

“Damian? You’re dating Evan’s brother?” Cathy seemed wide-awake now.

“I know in that silly romantic heart of yours you figured once I was working with Evan, all the unrequited love I’d stored up years ago would suddenly blossom.”

“Yup,” Cathy said. “You’re exactly right.”

“Cathy, listen to me. Evan Dryden is a terrific guy, but he isn’t the man for me.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because … well, because I just am.” Even now it was difficult to talk about her feelings for Damian. She couldn’t begin to describe them. “For one thing, Evan’s in no emotional shape to get involved in another romance, which is fine by me.”

“What happened?” Cathy demanded. “I thought he asked you to his family’s barbecue.”

“He did, but only because Damian prompted him. By the time I arrived, he’d met a lovely Frenchwoman and the two of them were inseparable.”

“How rude!”

If she’d had her heart set on Evan, it would’ve been devastating, but she didn’t, and as a consequence she’d spent a glorious night in Damian’s company. She wouldn’t have traded the evening for anything. “No, not at all,” she said.

“You aren’t disappointed?”

Apparently Cathy wasn’t as awake as Jessica had believed. “Not in the least. Damian and I drove out to Cannon Beach and rode the roller coaster.”

“You? The original wimp on that monster ride? You didn’t really, did you?”

“Yes, I did,” she replied proudly, “and it was fabulous.” She spent the next few minutes relaying the highlights of the evening—Damian’s winning the stuffed elephant for her and walking along the pier and sharing cotton candy. When she finished there was a short silence.

“Hmm,” said Cathy thoughtfully. “This could be very interesting.”

Jessica got to the office bright and early Monday morning. Evan had apparently been there at some point during the weekend, since he’d left her a list of instructions. His notes included a series of laws he needed her to research. Jessica got to the task right away.

Damian found her in the library some time later. “So you are here,” he said, sounding surprised. “Mrs. Sterling thought you hadn’t come in today. I phoned your apartment and left a message.”

Jessica straightened in her chair and arched her back, hoping to relieve the tension in her tired muscles. A glance at her watch told her it was nearly eleven. She’d been so involved in her research she hadn’t noticed the time.

“I’ve been in here all morning,” she explained, pinching the bridge of her nose. The words were beginning to blur in front of her eyes. Some of the reading was dull, but there were several cases she found intriguing.

He disappeared and returned a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee. “Here,” he said, handing it to her. “Take a break before you go blind.”

“Has Evan shown up yet?” The coffee tasted like ambrosia.

Damian sighed. “Not yet. But Evan comes and goes at will, or at least he has for the past few months.”

“Well, he left me some work to do, so he must’ve been in yesterday.” She paused. “What about him and Ramona?” She sincerely hoped those two were enthralled with each other.

“It’s too soon to tell, but maybe there’s some hope there.” Good. Damian sounded as if he really meant it.

“I want Evan to be happy,” she said, not sure why she needed Damian to know that.

“Exactly.” Damian smiled and got up to walk over to the polished bookcase. He pulled down a well-used volume. “Let me give you some advice,” he said, tucking the book under his arm.

“Sure.”

“Don’t skip lunch.”

“I won’t,” she promised.

He left then and Jessica smiled and closed her eyes. After a moment she returned to her research. A long time passed before her smile faded.

As promised, Jessica took her lunch hour and returned to find Evan searching for her. He sat down next to her in the library and reviewed her notes, asked a series of intelligent questions and made comments every now and then about her progress. More than once he praised her efforts. He made a few notations himself, and they spent the better part of an hour discussing different aspects of the Earl Kress case.

After Evan had gone, Jessica was exhilarated. Damian had revealed a keen insight into his brother’s personality by assigning Evan to this important case. Evan was dynamic, sharp and dedicated to representing this former athlete to the best of his ability.

Several hours of research remained, and although it was late, Jessica decided to trudge on until she was finished.

“It’s six o’clock and time for you to go home,” Damian said from behind her in the tone she recognized. It was the one he used when he wouldn’t listen to a word of argument. The one that swayed juries.

“I’ll be finished in a bit.”

“You’re finished now.”

“Damian.”

“Don’t argue with me, Jessica. It won’t do any good.”

She closed the book she was reading and stood up. Every movement of her body spelled reluctance.

“Did you take time for lunch?”

“You’re beginning to sound like my guardian!”

“I see you didn’t eat, otherwise you wouldn’t be snapping at me.”

“I did so—and I’m not snapping!”

“That does it!”

Was he about to fire her for insubordination? Jessica stared up at him, wondering what would happen next.

“We’re going to dinner,” he muttered.

“Dinner! But Damian, you’ve already—”

“Pizza,” he said, “the deep-dish variety. There’s a small Italian restaurant around the corner. I swear it’s one of the best-kept secrets in Boston.”

“Pizza,” Jessica repeated slowly and her stomach growled in anticipation. “Well, if you insist, and it seems that you do.” She reached for her purse.

They walked to the restaurant, which was nestled in the basement of one of the older buildings. The marble floors were badly worn, and the architecture showed that the place had been built in the early thirties. Jessica had passed the building a hundred times and barely given it a second’s notice.

“How’d you hear about this restaurant?” she asked.

“From the security guard. He eats here regularly and recommended it to me. I’ve never tasted better Italian food.”

The proprietor greeted Damian as if he were a long-lost cousin, kissing him on both cheeks and speaking in Italian as he nodded approvingly at Jessica.

“What did he say?” she asked when they were seated at a table covered with a red-and-white-checked cloth. A candle flickered from inside a small vase, and shadows danced across the opposite wall.

He shrugged. “I don’t know the language that well.”

“In that case you did a good job of faking it.”

“All right, if you must know, Antonio assumed we’re lovers,” Damian said casually, opening the menu.

“You corrected him, didn’t you?” she demanded, putting a hand to her chest. She could feel the color rush into her face.

“No.”

“Damian! You can’t let that man believe you and I …”

“You’re probably right, I shouldn’t. Especially when it’s my brother you’re in love with, not me.”

Jessica set the menu aside and leaned forward until her stomach pressed against the edge of the table. They needed to get this straight, once and for all. “I’m not in love with Evan,” she whispered heatedly.

“All right, all right.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I’m convinced,” he said, without looking at her. Whatever was offered on the menu had apparently captured his full attention.

“Fine,” she said, picking up her own menu. She was about to suggest the sausage pizza when a basket of warm bread was brought to their table. The lovely dark-haired woman who’d delivered it caught Damian’s face between her hands and kissed him soundly on the lips. Jessica must have looked shocked, because the older woman laughed delightedly. “You don’t need to worry—I won’t steal Damian away from you,” she said, then added something in Italian.

Damian seemed to go pale at the woman’s words. Jessica’s own knowledge of Italian was scant, but she knew what bambino meant.

“Damian, tell me what she said.”

He was silent while the same woman poured them each a glass of wine and brought a plate of antipasto. Then he sighed. “Lucia says you seem nice and sturdy.”

“What? Anyway, she said more than that.”

“Jessica, I already explained I only know a little bit of Italian.”

“You know more than me. She said bambino. Doesn’t that mean ‘baby’?”

Damian sighed again. “Yes. Lucia said you’ll make a good mother to my children.”

“Oh.” Jessica glanced at the woman, who was standing on the other side of the room, busy ladling minestrone soup into two ceramic bowls, which she then brought over to them.

“I guess we aren’t going to get that pizza,” Damian muttered after the soup was served.

Antonio returned with the bottle of Italian wine and replenished their glasses with exclamations of pleasure. Damian thanked him in Italian, then they spoke for a minute or two.

“When did you learn to speak Italian?” Jessica asked.

“I didn’t. I picked up a smidgen here and there over the years. I spent a couple of months in Italy before I entered law school and muddled my way through the country. That’s about it.”

“You’re a man of many talents,” she said, picking up her spoon and sampling the soup. It was rich and flavorful. In fact, everything was excellent—the meal, the smooth red wine, the cappucino and dessert. Each time she thought she couldn’t swallow another bite, Lucia would bring them something else she insisted they try.

“Either we leave now, or you’ll have to roll me out of here,” Jessica said.

Damian chuckled, settled the bill, and together they walked back to the office high-rise. The evening was glorious, and Jessica felt wonderful. She wasn’t sure if it was the result of the weather, the delicious food and wine or the company—or maybe all of them.

“Thank you,” she said in the elevator.

“You’re welcome.” Damian fell strangely quiet as they walked to the law library. Before she left for the night, Jessica wanted to shelve the volumes she’d been studying. Damian helped her silently. When they were finished, he preceded her from the room, automatically turning off the light.

The room was suddenly dark and Jessica bumped into a table.

“Jessica.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, moving toward the hall light.

“That’s the problem,” he muttered, reaching for her. She was in his arms before she realized it. “I’m not.” With that his mouth came down on hers.